Guardiola confirms that the £54 million Man City player is nearing peak form.
One of Manchester City’s key players has received a positive injury update from Pep Guardiola.
Thanks to a late Erling Haaland goal, Manchester City secured a 1-0 victory over Brentford on Tuesday, returning to winning ways.
With this win, Pep Guardiola’s side climbed to second place in the Premier League, just one point behind reigning champions Liverpool. A victory against Bournemouth on Saturday could see them claim the top spot.
This weekend, instead of a league fixture, Jurgen Klopp’s team will face Chelsea in the Carabao Cup final.
This presents City with a significant opportunity on the south coast, and it appears that Kevin De Bruyne may be involved.
Guardiola revealed that the talented Belgian did not even warm up for Tuesday’s match, opting to sit on the bench due to a hamstring issue.
Although the Blues’ manager was cautious about De Bruyne’s return after his extended absence, he provided a positive update on Friday.
“Good, he’s not injured,” Guardiola said at his pre-game press conference. “Better.”
“I think we made the right decision, but I’m not sure if he’s 100%. [We should] not take any risks.
“Regardless of the outcome, if it wasn’t excellent, people would question why Kevin De Bruyne didn’t play, but I believe we made the decision because he wasn’t comfortable.
“I’m not sure; our training session is at four. He came and trained by himself yesterday, but we’ll assess and make a decision today, and I’m pretty sure he’ll be involved.”
At almost 33 years old, and having endured several serious injuries over the past five years, De Bruyne’s condition requires careful management to avoid long-term damage.
While he is a phenomenal player when fit, City must be cautious not to overexert him, considering his recent injury history.
The £54 million player missed the first half of the season after returning prematurely from a previous hamstring injury earlier in the year.
The prudent approach is undoubtedly to take things slowly, but thankfully, it seems his condition is improving.
